First statement from Palestine: 'The Palestinian people have the right to defend themselves'
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas stated that the Palestinian people have the right to defend themselves against Israeli attacks.
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According to the official Palestinian news agency WAFA, Abbas convened senior civilian and security officials in Ramallah to discuss developments regarding the "Al-Aqsa Flood" operation launched by the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, from the blockaded Gaza Strip into Israel.
In his speech at the meeting, Abbas stated that the protection of the Palestinian people is essential, saying, "The Palestinian people have the right to protect themselves against the terror of occupation forces and settlers."
The Palestinian President gave instructions to "provide all necessary elements for the steadfastness and resilience of the Palestinian people against the crimes committed by the Israeli occupation and settler gangs."
Abbas will chair a meeting with the leadership of the Palestinian administration today.
CONFLICTS BETWEEN HAMAS AND ISRAEL
The Qassam Brigades announced this morning that they had launched a comprehensive operation called "Al-Aqsa Flood" against Israel. While thousands of rockets were fired from Gaza toward Israel, armed groups also entered settlements in the region.
Following the "Al-Aqsa Flood" operation, the Israeli army announced that it had launched attacks on the Gaza Strip with dozens of fighter jets.
The Israeli emergency service Magen David Adom announced that 22 Israelis were killed in the attacks carried out from the Gaza Strip.
According to a report by the official Palestinian agency WAFA, 4 Palestinians lost their lives and 5 were injured in the clashes between the Israeli army and Palestinian groups.